Another Path
by sd74
Summary: Pokemon Challenge! What if Ash loses his Pikachu and gains another pokemon as a result? Ash path has changed now that he knows there is more to be a Trainer and possibly a Pokemon Master.


Challenge

1\. The main team would be one of each Region. Besides Ralts mentioned below.

2\. Ash would not be aiming to compete in the League, however, he participates in a different way.

3\. The adventure includes whatever you could think of. (i.e. pokemon hunter, pokemon ranger, International detective, league helper, etc...)

4\. Traveling alone or with someone is entirely up to you.

* * *

After taking the bike from the girl who fished him out and hearing the flock of Spearow, Ash put Pikachu on the basket and pedaled away from danger. They were catching up. Rain started to act up making their escape more difficult.

Few hours passed as he tried to shake off their pursuers amongst the trees or around obstacles to stall those behind. Ash bumped into a Sandshrew who woken up tiredly from all the noise and unrolled from his sleep to the left near a small hill forcing both Pikachu and Ash off the bike.

With a quick roll, he got to his feet and dashed to pick up Pikachu as he noticed it a little farther away.

The flock caught up as well as surrounding them as Ash tried to make peace with Pikachu and made his final stand from the Spearows. In annoyance, the Spearows dove in to attack Ash from all direction. All of this was seen by a Sandshrew over top of the small hill not knowing what was happening.

Seeing this, Pikachu who was moved by Ash's conviction to fight against all odd decided to help him, while still injured from an earlier attack, he sped towards Ash.

As he jumped to his shoulders and had made another higher jump going for the flock and unleashed all the power he could in the rainstorm. Causing a massive Thunder that blasted everything away which faintly seen from Pallet Town or Viridian City.

A defeated flock, toasted bike and weakened Pikachu was the aftermath as soon as Ash was able to get up to see what had happened.

Having a weird feeling in his gut as he got closer towards Pikachu. Pushing on, he arrived and picked Pikachu to his embrace.

A weak Cha~ was heard. Looking down, Pikachu looked into his eyes as erratic static from its cheek was losing power and again cried out Pika~ then closed his eyes to get a little rest.

Knowing what he must do he looked around and saw a building little further than he would've wanted. He swiftly recovered his backpack, Pokedex and quickly traveled to Viridian City.

Hearing something exploding from up above, he looked up and thought that his eyes were imagining things as he saw something high up. A shadow of a mysterious Pokémon going left of Viridian City with the Pokedex not knowing what Pokémon it is.

Leaving quickly, both Misty (does not know her name yet) and Sandshrew were following him.

Jogging with all his strength on the way to the city's entrance soon had become sluggish nevertheless steady until stopped by Officer Jenny.

"Hold it! Just where you are thinking of going with that Pokémon young man!" said by Officer Jenny as Ash surprised her as he then responded; "It's my Pokémon and its hurt and I got to get it to the Poke Center right away."

With slight guilt, she apologized for her mistake and then asked for his verification. Not noticing that Pikachu was getting weaker by the minute. Being put onto the spot, he forgot about it and remembered of his Pokedex and revealed it. Upon checking it, she mentioned of 4 other trainers from Pallet Town and the strangeness that Pikachu isn't inside a Poké Ball.

He mentioned his slight troubles and asked for her help. Officer Jenny warned of the danger from Team Rocket running around accepted to give Ash a quick trip with her bike to the Pokémon Center. With a slight yell, he thought that Officer Jenny was a lunatic for driving faster than he had expected.

Becoming dark the headlight of the bike was turned on and didn't see someone walking closer towards them. A second later Misty arrived with a small silhouette following close. Coughing a little as she was ticked off and ran while carrying her burned bike.

No one ever saw a Meowth-shaped hot air balloon overhead.

Sometime later, Officer Jenny reached to the Pokémon Center and was in a mood to be a little daredevil and drifted towards the inside and in front of Nurse Joy.

Putting her hands on the front desk and softly said: "We have a driveway you know?" With Officer Jenny mentioning of Poke-emergency just as Ash showed Pikachu in arms.

Right away had Nurse Joy went into action and taken Pikachu from his arms. As soon as she had done so, a sharp glint passed her eyes when Chansey brought the stretcher before her. Putting Pikachu on it as she said, "It will be okay," with a strained smile told Ash.

Nurse Joy then hurriedly whispered to Chansey "Rush this Pokémon to the north sector of Critical Care Unit" only to be overheard by Officer Jenny who let out only wide eyes as a response; where Pikachu being taken away solely looked by Ash. Chansey spoke out sadly for a second and moved as commanded.

Supplied already she told Officer Jenny "We'll immediately begin the treatment." Ash interrupted by asking what he should do. Surprising Nurse Joy as she did not appear to know who Ash is.

Quickly introduced to being Pikachu's trainer she in serious voice told Ash "You can be a more responsible young man. Being a Pokémon Trainer takes commitment and not taking foolish actions such as leaving their Pokémon in such bad shape from battling no matter what reason it is." Not leaving Ash any room to explain.

With a sigh, she again told Ash that it would be okay.

Officer Jenny had a small talk with Nurse Joy as she said that there's something to take care of and responding with leaving it at her hands who then told Ash to go at the waiting room.

Not being able to do anything he sat down on a nearby chair. Slightly depressed he looked over the emergency room he then decided to call home. Delia just finished her mini-spa and heard the video phone ring. Picking it up, she's happy to hear Ash's voice although dispirited.

"Hi, honey, where are you?" "In Viridian's City Poke Center"

Surprise in her voice as she heard that he was there sooner than she had thought and congratulated Ash as she said on how proud his father is. "Sadly, I feel chump," Ash responded.

"Oh Ash, don't feel let down, chin up and soar the sky like a Spearow. Whereas everything will be alright, would go alright, once you have your Pokémon with you have confidence all the way on your journey," Delia said heatedly.

"Okay." Ash started to lose control of his voice.

"Goodnight son I love you!"

"Love you too Mom…" the call ended. "Bye," hanging up as he thought of something. Turning around he looked at the back wall, an image or silhouette of the mysterious Pokémon, he previously saw before. Disrupted from his amazement, he heard the Pokémon Center video phone ring.

Answering it, he turned around once again and saw Professor Oak from a new perspective with noodles cooked over a Bunsen burner. Into perspective once again; Professor Oak asked an obvious question towards Ash. Which he replied with "I am talking to you here aren't I?"

Happily realizing his mishap with a nod, he mentioned the status of the others and doubted Ash ability to take care of his Pokémon. Also admitted a shockingly, while expected, bet over Ash obtaining new Pokémon with his grandson over lots of cash.

Not believing that he was that careless as well as his current train of thoughts Ash mentioned that he did see a mysterious Pokémon like the image on the wall. Not buying for a second, he gave a fact that many sought and failed to find that Legendary Pokémon.

"This Pokémon rarely been seen, and legend says that for whichever trainer with pure heart appears before it brings them eternal happiness and rumors speculated that it lives at one end of the rainbow." A ding from the door broke Professor's train of thought.

Professor Oak ended the call as he's needed elsewhere. With another disruption caused by Misty, she walks up to him. Both started talking over her bike. Misty tripped. Ash went to help and got rejected which she got up.

Furiously staring at Ash and complains about the injustice of all she then demanded, "You are going to pay for what you did to my bike!"

"Oh, uh…" looking over his inner jacket pocket. He grabbed what he was looking for and gave it to Misty while awkwardly saying, "here, a ticket about a bicycle or something." Taking the ticket and looking over it she was surprised that it was for [Limited Edition: Bicycle Shop 20 Year Anniversary] "Wha-"

"I'm sorry, but I have something else to worry about." Misty looks up and turns to look at his line of sight, and its the emergency room. Understanding passed through her eyes and asked, "is it serious?" Ash looks away slightly with his cap covering his eyes "It's been a while."

The emergency room light turned off, and Nurse Joy walked over to Ash. With a solemn face, she told Ash that she did her best, "His electric pouches became strained, over its limits, and wounds done to his body were too much… what happened?

Eyes slightly glazed he despondently told what had happened. Sandshrew with its keen hearing (note eavesdropping) listened to Ash's words.

 _I was aiming to hit the Pidgey while it was distracted; however, the Pokémon moved its head lower and directly hid the head of a Spearow. It looked my way and was about to attack me which Spearow then saw Pikachu near me. My Pokedex mentioned additional information on Spearow's jealousy over trained Pokémon and attacked Pikachu instead. Taken by surprised a hit landed and Pikachu was thrown off the branch and landed safely on a bush._

 _Coming back for another attack Pikachu let out Thunderbolt to knock it out; however, it screeched before fainting. The cries of other Spearow got heard and with it made our escape. We weren't fast enough. Pikachu attempted to dash away, but it didn't work as they quickly caught up._

 _Receiving damage, they were heading towards a cliff._

 _A rush of water sounded below the cliff, and I dashed over to Pikachu and grabbed him before jumping off the cliff onto the river beneath it. It took a while under water until_ looks at Misty _fished us to shore._

 _Clearing my head of water, I took her bicycle and left. With Spearow approaching us the only thought was to shake them off and head to whatever obstacles that I could have used to fend them off. Pikachu was still young and doesn't have much durability to take hit so it there's nothing which Pikachu could've done._

 _After a few hours of doing this, I passed by a small hill and hit something that I couldn't see and flew us off. Pikachu roughly landed and rolled to a stop while I dive-rolled to my feet. I then went to pick Pikachu who was passed out on my arms._

 _However, we soon got surrounded by the flock of Spearows. I wanted to be the target and protect Pikachu I called out to the Spearows._

 _Pikachu probably woke up and saw them about to attack and went and used Thunder while supercharged by the rain stormed and exploded._ Nurse Joy let out a gasp, and her eyes widened as she then recalled a conversation between trainers that they had seen a faint Thunder which was unusual compared to normal. _The attack had blown me away, and I was not able to get up for a few minutes._

 _Seeing that my items were scattered, I picked them up and immediately came here as fast as I could where I ended up with Officer Jenny._ " And you know the rest Nurse Joy."

Ash did not tell them that he might have seen a legend. And he did not think that legends to be true.

"I see, the energy was too much for young Pikachu who's previously injured to use. What is-" Sirens came active with Officer Jenny issuing a warning: "That a gang of Pokémon thieves in an aircraft are close by."

Which followed by two Poké Balls braking the rooftop window and bringing out Coffin and Ekans as the distraction for their trainers to appear. Both seemed to be the thieves Officer Jenny was talking about thought Ash.

Caught by surprise with smokescreen and revealing themselves that nobody saw that Sandshrew had used Sword Dance. After the smoke was clear Sandshrew used Aerial Ace to speed up and arrive between both groups and then used Swift to blast them away from the same way that they came.

Getting over their surprise of what had just occurred they all noticed a Sandshrew spun towards Ash and grabbed his pants. It then pointed to a specific image from the wall, the bike and then towards the emergency room. Next, Sandshrew rolled in circles around the bike. Then, settled next to Ash still in a ball.

Ash was initially shocked that Sandshrew pointed at one of the images; however, he mostly comprehended was this all meant. Crouching down Ash said softly, "You wanted to apologize for getting in the way of the bike?"

Sandshrew poked his head a little and cutely/adorably nodded then rolled back into a ball.

"Well Ash, it's better to deal with this tomorrow I am going to sleep." Misty voiced her thoughts, picked up her bike and went into one of the hallways.

Nurse Joy then walked over to the front desk, typed on the computer, and gave Ash his Keycard. "She is right after all its rare for new trainers to experience all of this on their first steps," Nurse Joy had softly said and went to take care of other things leaving Ash standing there alone with Sandshrew.

Ash looks down to Sandshrew then to his Keycard and blankly stared at Sandshrew back again to find out what they would do. Sandshrew noticing his expression it lifted his head, unrolled and jumped in sidespin to expand the Poke Ball with one claw and another claw got it caught.

A while later nothing has happened, Ash grabs Sandshrew Poke Ball and looks at it in a stupefied expression. Momentarily surprises Ash but was shocked more as he witnesses Sandshrew self-capture itself with his Poke Ball.

Deciding that nothing is happening, he left for his room to sleep while he can.

Once he reaches the door of his room, an unusual feeling passed by his entire being and mentally heard a childlike voice, "…help…" making him turn his head in a direction. His eyes flashed with a hint of a blue and slight shade of red.

With what had happened recently he was having trouble not falling asleep as concerns plagued his young mind. He turned and headed out of the building.

Walking towards the edge of the city and leftover its safety and headed over the childlike voice. Only by arriving at an empty spot with flowers all around and a small lake nearby did he see something unexpected.

A statue with a faint physic color glowed over it. This statue was in a shape of a Ralts which is on a bush leaning its head on a tree.

Another wave of a strange sensation passed over him, and his eyes once again flashed in blue with a shade of red as he slowly walked over and reached out with his hand.

Upon touching the statue, it glowed with blue and slowly the stone-like surface disappeared. Revealing an astonishing scene of Ralts, with its regular color scheme apart from blue highlights. A sleepy cry played to his ears getting Ash to take Ralts into his arms. Ralts on her part cuddled in Ash's arms from the cold it had endured all this time and fell asleep.

To help her be comfortable, Ash sings in a whisper. _I Wanna Be a Hero._ And, _Die For You._

Ash slowly walked away with Ralts in his arms without disturbing her sleep and thought about what he would do from now on. He knows that the league would soon start, but he doesn't feel much on walking blind, not anymore, after learning that he has much to learn.

While his dream is to be a Pokémon Master, being a trainer has an entirely different meaning. A Trainer is a way of life together with his Pokémon as he travels across the lands far and wide. The road of a Championship is one-sided. A Pokémon Master has a chance to dabble in everything as well as meeting all kind of people.

The League is only a way to test me, my Pokémon and at the same time, it can also be an excuse to travel around with many added benefits.


End file.
